Beautifully written as always. I was so excited to return to the Divine Rivals world. Wild Reverence was slower paced for me than the other books, but I thoroughly enjoyed the forbidden romance between Matilda and Vincent. This book had a little bit everything action, turmoil, angst, friendship, and love. Look forward to her next masterpiece.

I LOVED the Letters of Enchantment duology so no one is more disappointed than me that I didn’t love Wild Reverence. In Wild Reverence, long before the days of Iris and Roman, you follow the story of Matilda, a young goddess who grows in power and follow along her love story.

What I did enjoy about Wild Reverence was the world building toward the beginning. I liked learning more about the gods and goddesses, how their power and magic works, and how things came to be prior to the days of Divine Rivals. I also love Rebecca Ross’s writing—it’s every bit as beautiful and lyrical as it was in the Letters of Enchantment duology. However, I unfortunately did not find myself attached to the characters, nor really caring for the love story in this. There wasn’t a lot of development of the relationship between Matilda and Vincent, and it more so felt like insta-love. I also feel like the overall plot got a little lost in this? I just had a really hard time picking this up and it took me a while to finish.

Based on other reviews I seem to be an outlier on this one so if you enjoyed The Letters of Enchantment duology I’d still give this one a try. While Wild Reverence is a prequel of sorts, if you have not read Divine Rivals yet, I would actually start with Divine Rivals (first book in Letters of Enchantment duology). I loved the love story and plot in that one. Then, if you want to learn more about the gods and goddesses in that book and world overall, you can then read Wild Reverence.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of Wild Reverence in exchange for an honest review.

Dnf 20% just wasn’t for me. Super slow and I wasn’t invested in the story. May try at a different time. Was also worried about content.

Loved this! The pacing was great in the book. I really loved the character development as well. This might be my favorite Rebecca Ross book!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Rebecca Ross and St. Martin's Press| Saturday Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I truly enjoyed Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows so I have been looking forward to this prequel and it did not disappoint! Wild Reverence is beautifully written, lyrical, passionate and at times haunting.
This is an adult slow burn, dual POV romantic fantasy set in a world dominated by volatile Gods and Goddesses, and inhabited by humans. We follow Matilda, a minor goddess, and Vincent, a mere mortal, and their journey throughout their lives and their entwined fates. Their journey, both together and apart, is is filled with yearning and significant challenges as they navigate a world where gods and mortals are not meant to be together. This is a story of life, loss, found family, power, fate, and most of all, love.
This book did have a bit of a slow start with the introduction of many gods and goddesses as well as the underlying magic system, but was ultimately a fabulous read! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

This story was amazing. The world building, the characters, the romance. It was so well woven and a story that you can get lost in really easily. I loved this addition to the divine rivals world.

Lush, emotional, and mythic—Ross weaves gods, mortals, and a tender slow-burn romance into a story that feels both epic and intimate. The world-building is vivid, the prose beautiful, and Matilda and Vincent’s journey kept me hooked. A little slow to start, but once it hits its stride, it’s gorgeous.

I’ve loved Rebecca Ross’s work, especially her Letters of Enchantment duology (Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows). That series struck the perfect balance of romance and gentle magical realism, keeping me hooked without throwing me into an overwhelming fantasy world.

So I was excited for Wild Reverence. The idea of gods at war sounded incredible, and Ross’s prose is still as beautiful as ever. But this one never clicked for me. The pacing felt slow, I couldn’t attach to the characters, and picking it up started to feel like a chore. I actually didn’t finish it, which almost never happens.

If you love high-mythology fantasy with lyrical writing, it may still be your thing…but for me, it lacked the emotional spark and intimacy that made her earlier books unforgettable.

Oh my goodness.

“I waited for her return like the stars wait for the sun to set.”

Rebecca had once again written a beautiful book full of love and beauty. A story of soulmates. A story about a goddess and a mortal and their inexplicable undying love. Well worth the read.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Saturday Books for the e-ARC!

First of all, some of my favorite reads of the year so far were Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. Therefore, I was excited but had high expectations for this book.

It did not disappoint.

This book was magical yet beautiful with its love and storytelling of Matilda and Vincent. It expanded the world in the most perfect way with this story being a true companion to the original duology. The cast of characters added and enriched the overall story, especially with the larger cast of Skywards and Underlings (Bade, the man you are). The love and fate of Matilda and Vincent was everything I wanted and more.

Overall, a beautiful story that might be my favorite out of the series.

This is my favorite book of the year! This story is so layered and gorgeous. I loved having main characters who were so developed - each brought heartache, fear, joy, and love to the story. I didn’t think anything in the Letters of Enchantment series could top Divine Rivals but this book proved otherwise. Highly recommend.

I enjoyed this one. But also felt it was a bit too long. There were times I struggled to stay engaged. But that is probably a me thing.

I liked this story. How it follows a god and her relationship with a mortal.

And of course the writing is beautiful.

Overall good.

How does one go about reviewing one of the most beautiful romantic fantasy reads of the year? As someone who would read a grocery list if Rebecca Ross wrote it, I may be a bit biased, but Wild Reverence was decadently delightful. Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows became one of my favorite duologies of all time, and when I heard she was working on a prequel set 600 years prior to the Letters of Enchantment duology, I was slightly foaming at the mouth to get it in my hands. I was beyond lucky to receive an eARC to review, and I can confirm it’s another masterpiece of angst, achingly beautiful writing, and complex characters. This book reads like a tragic Greek myth. The gods have very little emotions or feelings for the mortals, and the mortals, well, they feel too much. The gods are brutal, especially to each other, and are constantly vying for more power. There are moments of absolute shock and horror, but there’s also an undeniable deep vein of love running through it, and what beings are willing to do for it—mortal or not.

If you’ve read her connected duology, do not go into this book expecting Enva and Dacre to take center stage. Yes, they’re present, and I loved the bits and pieces they played, but this story belongs to Matilda and Vincent. A young goddess with hidden stars and power, and a mortal third son of a Lord. And they have my whole heart. I hope they just might capture yours.

And before you ask, yes, you can absolutely read this first if you haven’t read the Letters of Enchantment duology.

Things to Know:
Romantic Fantasy
Marriage of convenience
Low spice
gods and mortals
Multiple realms
Prequel to Divine Rivals + Ruthless Vows
Political Intrigue
Gorgeous writing
Trigger: War, Death, Torture

“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.”

The story begins underground with a new goddess being born. The Underling Realm is brutal, and not a safe place for young Matilda. Her only true ally is Bade, the god of war, who swears a salt vow (basically an unbreakable vow) to teach her to defend herself, and protect her from any harm. When I tell you, I love Bade so much!

For those that felt the background and context of the gods was missing in the Letters of Enchantment duology, I fear you will love this book, because it goes deep. I loved learning about all of the different gods, their powers, their alliances, motivations, and enemies. They all possess stars, and the mortals know which constellations belong to which gods. The more stars one has, the more powerful.

A god can steal the stars and power of another by killing them, which is fairly hard, unless one possesses an Eithral scale (yes, one of Dacre’s dragon-like creatures). And someone has been dealing in Eithral scales, even selling them to the rival court of immortals, the Skyward Realm. And gods are dying.

We also learn Matilda’s father is a Skyward, and she is the first goddess ever able to travel to both. Her stars indicate she is a herald, a bringer of messages. And lucky for her, that’s not a very sought after power, so most of the gods discount her. Big mistake.

I loved that we spent so much time in the immortal realms. Rebecca writes these places and the gods within them in a way that truly feel “other.” At the same time, we also have young Vincent who keeps dreaming of Matilda. She is slipped those dreams to read on scrolls by another god, and their connection seems predestined.

When something tragic happens, Matilda is forced to flea Skyward to find her father. So much happens in this book, I could not begin to explain it all. It covers many, many years, which I also loved, as we get to see these characters grow up and come into their own. I was frankly shocked at a few of her decisions, but again, she’s not mortal, so of course, they didn’t make sense.

My girl Matilda could also be a tad faster at actually delivering her messages. LOL

There are villains to loathe (and I mean LOATHE), complex, meandering plotlines, and multiple love stories that had me swooning and occasionally in tears. Without giving any spoilers, there are definitely moments where I wanted to hurl the book across the room because I was so upset. But the journey is worth it.

This book does, at times, read a bit slower. Yes, there’s battles, and action, and high stress moments, but I did feel like I was reading this book for so long. For me, the payoff is totally worth it. Once again, the audiobook was everything! I cannot recommend it enough, especially as the pacing of this novel can feel a bit slower at times, the narrators brought this story and various characters to life is such a beautiful way. Reminder, you can absolutely read this book without reading Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows,Iand in fact, I might even recommend it if you’re a person who likes to have a complete understanding of a world while reading. I may end up adding to this review in the future, because I feel like I still have so many more thoughts to get out—I can’t stop thinking about this book.

If you love character driven love stories that still have plot, beautiful writing, and don’t mind some tragedy, you will love this one.

Favorite Quotes:

“War only makes love flame brighter, defiant. It seems to bloom from the bloodshed you leave behind, unfurling from the most unlikely of places. From the broken seams of the world. From the graves and the anguish and the fear you inspire.”

—

“For men are like Eithrals; they are drawn to shining, quicksilvered things, keen to tame them.”

—

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

—

“I pray that my days will be long at your side. Let me fill and satisfy every longing in your soul. May your hand be in mine, by sun and by night. Let our breaths twine and our blood become one, until our bones return to dust. Even then, may I find your soul still sworn to mine.”

—

“The air smelled of contradictions, a mix of mortal blood and magic.”

—

“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 love you, dearly, Red. Come home to me. Return to me, when you can. I will be watching the skies and the river until then.”

—

“What does a lord do when an impatient god unexpectedly arrives at his hall and hovers? You invite him for supper and hope he will decline.”

—

“I would wait a thousand years for you. If you asked me, I would wait for you until only my bones remained upon an altar. But if you must leave again, then let me follow you…”

Rebecca Ross is one of my favourite writers, so I knew the return to the world of the Letters of Enchantment duology was going to be magical. I loved the story she wove about the Skywards and the Underlings, and I especially loved the romance between Matilda and Vincent.

This is easily my favourite Rebecca Ross book to date.

I really did not know what to expect going into this book, but Rebecca writes the story of gods and mortals so beautifully. Wild Reverence really felt more similar to River Enchanted than Divine Rivals in that sense.

Matilda was an amazing FMC, I loved reading about her and Vincent. Seeing her grow up and into her power made me feel like I was a part of it. There were numerous time jumps that felt flawless- very well executed.

The love story between the two of them broke and healed my heart over and over again. I fear I may never truly recover.

If I could live in Rebecca Ross’ words I would. I feel like I could close my eyes and be there and see Matilda. A review could never truly capture the tone and how this book made me feel, so I urge you to find out for yourself.

My personal experience is that the book was quite a long read. It was fast paced for most of it, but I had a hard time getting invested. There was epic battles and incredible journeys across the three worlds.

Rebecca Ross never misses. Her writing is beautiful & sensory invoking. Her regular description on scent in her story is unique & brings the images in my mind even greater depth. I loved getting better insight in Enva & Dacre’s characters that we met in Divine Rivals. I would happily read even more from this world she has created!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Publication Date: September 2, 2025

This fantasy book tells the love story of Matilda and Vincent, who first met in dreams and were destined to be together.

I felt like it was a little hard to get into this book and the first half was slow. However, the second half and ending were so good that I forgot it was over 500 pages. If you liked Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, you will adore this story as well.

Every book I read by Rebecca Ross somehow surpasses my expectations and deepens my love for her writing. To call her prose beautiful feels like an understatement. Wild Reverence was breathtaking. Vincent and Matilda's story captivated me and tore at my heart in the best way.

There are books I devour in a single sitting because I can't put them down, and there are others that resist being rushed. This was the latter. At first, I couldn't understand why it was taking me so long to finish this story when I loved every moment of it. But now I see... This wasn't a book to be devoured, but one to be savored.

Every page, every scene, felt rich and purposeful. The world of mortals and gods Ross has created is etched in my mind as vividly as if I had walked through the realms with Matilda myself. It is immersive, consuming, and unforgettable.

I had assumed this was a duology like Divine Rivals, and I was conflicted to discover that it isn't. While the story is perfectly paced and beautifully resolved, I can't help but wish I could remain in this world longer. Ross has once again written something that lingers beyond the final page. A story that stays, that echoes, that feels eternal.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC!

Reviewed on Goodreads: “ A gorgeous, heartbreaking origin story to the Divine Rivals series. Matilda and Vincent’s journey is both tragic and breathtaking, while opening up the realms of Enva and Dacre in a way that makes the entire world feel more vivid and alive.
Ross masterfully weaves new lore with familiar threads, giving the gods humanity and adding layers of meaning to the series. An unforgettable read — and one I highly recommend to every Divine Rivals fan.”