Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross was hands down one of the best books that I have read this year. I absolutely flew through it, never wanting the story to end. I love the growth of the main character, Matilda, and the strong influence the side characters play throughout the story. This book takes the reader through many twists and turns, but the ending is satisfying. I will recommend this book to fantasy lovers!

I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross. The author, Rebecca Ross, is the NYT bestselling author of the Divine Rivals duology as well as several other YA and adult fantasy novels. While I have not read anything else by her, I have long had Divine Rivals on my TBR and after finishing this book, I will be moving it up swiftly!

This book, which is set in the same world of the gods as seen in the Letters of Enchantment, follows the young god-child Matilda as she learns her place in the world of the gods. Graced with messenger magic, she travels between realms passing in words and letters between gods.

As she learns her place in the hierarchy she finds she must protect her secret and her magic at all costs. In between defense lessons from her salt sworn ally and learning the complicated connections of the gods among her she escapes to the dreams of a mortal boy, finding herself drawn to him.

This mortal child, Vincent, the third of four young sons is in awe of the god child who has chosen to greet him in his dreams and nightmares. But after ten years goes by, with her ignoring his pleas for help, he turns his back on the gods…until one night she reappears bearing a letter from a god.

As their destiny unfolds I became more and more riveted, craving more of their story as they intertwined and grew to learn each other. I have never read a gods novel before, thinking I wouldn’t find it interesting. If this book is any indication, I will happily admit I was wrong.

Rebecca Ross writes with such depth and emotion that it feels like she is weaving a poem on every page. I clutched my chest as I watched Matilda struggle to always do the right thing, never faltering in her beliefs and always holding every promise. My heart ached for her as she made choices that she knew would hurt her but feeling bound to make.

The story is woven so intricately that you don’t even see the threads of the story as Ross pulls them together to create this perfect gift of a tale. So many details that came together at the culmination showing how every small piece of info given matters.

I wholeheartedly recommend that everyone read this incredible story. With strong characters, beautiful thematic storylines, and emotionally charged moments, Wild Reverence is a book that will open your eyes in wonder.

This is set in the world of Divine Rivals but as that series is labeled YA this is an Adult Novel set before that takes place. Now I have yet to read Divine Rivals but what I can tell you is this. I have heard nothing but amazing things and after reading WIld Reverence I can now see why Rebecca Ross is a house hold name nowadays when it comes to Fantasy over the past few years. The world and character building is top notch. I absolutely love everything about this book. Rebecca did not shy away from throwing punches at her readers and I loved that. This is a book that will make you not want to put it down till you reach the end and it flows so well that the next time you check the time you will not realize how much time is past. I read it in one sitting and don’t regret it but also wished that it never ended. I feel lucky that I can go to Divine Rivals now and that i put it off so long!
Thank you to St Martins Press/Saturday Books for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"For anyone who has ever had to let go of someone they love."
In my best Klaus voice: REBECCAAAAAAAAAA 😭
That ending and epilogue had me SOBBING.

"The divine is nothing without mortal hearts."
These books are just a beautiful, eloquent experience. As a Divine Rivals fanatic, I knew I needed this ARC the second I heard about it, and it delivered.

Where do I even start? The characters:
✨ Matilda – smart, selfless, powerful
✨ Vincent – cinnamon roll grump and I ate it up
✨ Bade – I have extensive daddy issues, Bade fixed them ALL

"I would wait a thousand years for you," 🥹
I just want to emphasize how special this world is to me. The gods, the magic system, Rebecca’s intricate prose; everything about it invites you to escape. If you want a story to cozy up with that will completely transport you and give you all the feels, start with Letters of Enchantment and dive right into this one after (honestly even before would work too).

💌 Childhood friends to lovers
🛐 Gods & magic
🐉 Wyverns
⚔️ Forbidden love
🔥 Epic battle
🥀 Soul aching yearning

“For anyone who has ever had to let go of someone they love.”

*cue tears now*

There’s something indescribably magical about the way Rebecca Ross writes. Her words don’t just tell a story, they become part of you. Wild Reverence is a masterpiece of quiet longing, fierce devotion, and luminous prose. Set centuries before Divine Rivals, this book redefines what a prequel can be. It adds depth, context, and emotional resonance to the duology, while also standing strong entirely on its own.

The story follows Matilda, a goddess and herald who carries messages across the realms, and Vincent, a mortal boy plagued by vivid dreams of her. Their connection begins in the haze of youth and reawakens over a decade later when fate brings them back together as adults. Their romance is gorgeously written and full of tenderness, trust, and aching vulnerability.

Ross’s exploration of the gods - their motivations, powers, and flaws - was deeply compelling, and brought such dimension to the world. I especially loved getting more backstory on some of the deities we met in Divine Rivals. Bade’s story in particular broke my heart in the best way.

The pacing is gentle and deliberate in the beginning, but every moment matters. The atmosphere is rich and vivid, with each interaction and setting etched clearly in my mind. The yearning in this book? Off the charts. There are quotes I highlighted and reread over and over because they hit so deeply.

Vincent’s point of view was stunning. There’s something so powerful about seeing a love story unfold through the eyes of a man so full of reverence and awe. And the letter… the letter. I won’t spoil it, but just know I cried.

The epilogue left me speechless. It ties so beautifully into the duology that I had goosebumps, and I honestly wanted to go back and reread Divine Rivals with fresh eyes. The parallels, the echoes, the full-circle moments…was all brilliantly done.

Wild Reverence is easily one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. It’s romantic, magical, and devastating in the most cathartic way. I feel like my heart has been both broken and remade.

Rebecca Ross, thank you for this extraordinary gift of a story. Thank you also to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the e-arc.

Having absolutely loved The Divine Rivals duology, I was incredibly excited to dive into Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross—but unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. While the world-building and deeper exploration of the gods were intriguing and added richness to the lore, the story leaned too heavily into preparing for war, which slowed the pacing and kept me from feeling truly immersed. I found myself wishing for more moments between the main couple, whose connection felt somewhat sidelined amid all the strategy and build-up. Though there were elements I appreciated, I didn’t feel that same magnetic pull to keep turning the pages.

This was such a beautifully written story. I love Rebecca’s prose. She has a very unique writing style that won’t work for every reader. This is a prequel, but also a standalone, to her Divine Rivals duet. I didn’t find it necessary to have read those books but if you have there are some interesting scenes in this one that tie in nicely—Darce and Enva and some history on the typewriters was especially entertaining to read about. This book is very much in the same vein as DR also: there is a lot of unique lore, magic, and traditions here. The whole world was very whimsical and romantic. There are a lot of fun takes on god bargains, weakness and strengths, loyalty, fate and death, astronomy, etc etc. If you’re a reader who really enjoys world building and the way the plot is weaved around the world building then this book is perfect for you.

The romance is very sweet, verging on a little too sugary sweet for me. They have obstacles but surprisingly I found myself wanting something bigger. More drama? More intense passion? It’s very sweet, very steady—their romance is built around this incredibly deep bond that was formed when they were 13 and it’s all about faithfulness and trust, something the h has never ever truly had but something the H gives to her in spades. It is pretty insta for me though and for me their chemistry suffered because of the instaness as I am not a fan of instalove.

The MMC is human and the FMC is a Goddess and it is truly beautiful and so romantic how he is all about the h and completely loyal and devoted. But he knew that he wasn’t really a match for the games the gods play. He also has his own battles and war to win. His humanity sidelined him a bit so I was missing a lot of those big dramatic damsel in distress, the H saves the day moments. The h is very much the star of the show here and he is the man who loves her and makes her stronger because of that love. They had a very beautiful romance but not the most exciting. From the blurb I was expecting some more animosity between them when she finds him again and a stronger personality from him. When someone is in a ruling position I expect a certain amount of brazen and boldness that he just didn’t have (he does in some important scenes for sure) but he is a reluctant ruler and he is doing his best to be a good ruler despite his very reserved personality. I was just expecting a somewhat different MMC. I still really liked him, don’t get me wrong, and he was perfect for the h and her needs.

Bade! Omg, that sweet, sweet God of War. I absolutely adored his character and every scene he was in. The scenes with him and the H bonding because of their loyalty to the h were so much fun. I loved Nathaniel too. Our side characters had stronger personalities than the MCs at times, lol, which was both fun and slightly disappointing. Typically I am not a side character girl but I loved these two. I loved Adria also, honestly all the side characters were very well written. I liked the way the villains were portrayed in this one also—not too OTT but formidable and well matched to our heroes

The hs character development was great. I loved seeing her learn and explore her god powers and how integral her compassion and selflessness was to the story. This story wouldn’t have worked without her character being so well written and developed. I didn’t love that the first bit of the story started when the MCs were 13 but it was important for her character and story and her character development wouldn’t have been as good if the story was told without that timeline. For a good portion of this book she’s always fighting some sort of clock and her dedication and loyalty was so entertaining and satisfying to read.

Tropes:
Epic battles
Goddess x human
Who did this to you?
Grief, love, and yearning
Fake marriage
Gods & politics
Tl;dr: An incredibly magical and deeply touching gem of a book.

What I liked:
💌 The writing is, as always, stunning ; poetic without ever feeling heavy.
💌 ALL THE FEELINGS. ALL AT ONCE!
💌 The yearning between Matilda and Vincent was intense and beautiful.
💌 Grief is portrayed in such a moving, relatable way.
💌 Matilda’s humanity shining through her “goddessness” is heart-wrenching. Her discovery of love? The way she found home and belonging with Vincent? ❤️‍🩹
💌 Bade. Just Bade. All the love for Bade.
💌 I loved to hate the gods. They’re so unapologetically cruel.
💌 That perfectly bittersweet ending had me bawling.

What I didn’t like
💌 The pacing at the beginning felt a bit overwhelming due to the heavy world-building BUT I did not read Divine Rivals beforehand, which might have helped. That said, I still fully enjoyed and understood the rest of the book without it!

Overall, a story I’ll be carrying in my heart for a long, long time. It gave me the same emotional depth and lyrical vibe I loved so much in the Elements of Cadence duology. I was deeply touched by this love story and the growth of the characters. MORE PLEASE!
(I will be sharing this review on Instagram closer to the release date)

This book was BEYOND amazing 😭😭😭😭

One of the best romantasy’s I’ve read. The intimacy was not overdone and the twist and turns of the plot without romance kept the book flowing. The FMC was a strong fierce women but with a very fragile and loving side to her, she was exactly like you would imagine a Goddess.

The MMC had a rough upbringing and had to fight his way through many different hardships.

Such a great book. I havnt read Devine rivals so headed to get that this weekend because this authors writing is 🤌🏻

Set in the same world as the Letters of Enchantment duology, Wild Reverence goes back in time to tell the story of Matilda, a goddess who is half Underling & half Skyward, fully belonging to neither realm. Matilda must contend with the politics of both courts, & with the exception of her salt-sworn ally Bade, the god of war, must rely on gut instinct alone to know who she can trust in a complex pantheon of gods & goddesses intent on betrayal & retribution, & a mortal boy who dreamt of her before she even knew he existed.
Rebecca’s writing is absolutely beautiful, her world building is rich & complex, & her characters are deep & multi-faceted. I adored Matilda from the very beginning, her relationships with both other gods & mortals fascinating to behold, particularly as she discovered more about herself & her powers as the story progressed. The central love story had me absolutely hooked from the very beginning; filled with so much yearning & so many premonitions of doom, but somehow sweeter for it. Whilst I adored the Letters of Enchantment books, Wild Reverence is definitely my favourite of the three & is absolutely perfect.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ethereal, aching, and gorgeously written. Wild Reverence is Rebecca Ross at her most spellbinding.

With lyrical prose and breathtaking emotional depth, Wild Reverence is a masterwork of romantasy that blurs the lines between divinity and desire, duty and vulnerability. Ross crafts a tale that is both intimate and epic, filled with star-crossed longing, dangerous gods, and the kind of quiet, powerful magic that lingers in your bones long after the final page.

Matilda is a revelation of a protagonist, fierce, soft, brave, and burdened by the fragile beauty of her own heart. Born in the brutal under realm and gifted with "humble" messenger magic, she carries secrets and letters with equal care, even as the violent politics of the gods threaten to unravel her world. Her journey is one of survival and sacrifice, but also of self-discovery and the radical, terrifying power of being known.

And Vincent. Oh, Vincent. The gruff, guarded mortal lord of the river who once dreamed of a goddess and now finds her crashing back into his life. Their connection is tender, complex, and deeply human despite its mythic scale. Ross weaves their slow-burn romance with such grace and restraint that every glance, every unspoken word, feels like a battle won.

The worldbuilding is rich and imaginative, gods who kill to gain power, realms steeped in lore and shadow, and a magic system that feels ancient and alive. But even with all its grandeur, Wild Reverence never loses sight of its emotional core. It’s a story about letters and legacies, dreams and devotion, and the exquisite ache of hope.

Rebecca Ross continues to prove she’s one of the finest voices in fantasy today. Wild Reverence is a haunting, heartfelt triumph, a story that reveres not just wildness, but love in all its quiet, devastating glory.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I was very interested in Wild Reverence based on my enjoyment of Ross' other work, Divine Rivals. I was excited to see an adult-oriented story in the same world, where the focus would be on one of the divines, which intrigued me greatly from the worldbuilding of her previous series, and to have the chance to glean more information about the gods and goddesses and how their immortal lives are lived. I think this was completely delivered, but in the sort of way that FedEx will deliver your packages and leave them upside down and sideways in your front yard.

There was plenty of exploration of the lives of the gods, details about the three realms (Skyward, Underling, and the mortal world) and how they intertwine, and layer upon layer of worldbuilding at a pretty much constant influx. It seemed like we learned something new about the world/magic/gods every single chapter. This can be both a boon and bane. For me, it was a bit of an information overload at times. There are a lot of powers flying around, loyalties that are constantly changing, motives that are a bit confusing, et cetera. I do think that Ross put in a lot of effort to have all of this be digestible and clear-cut, and that's why so much of it is directly outlined and explained (I'd argue over-explained, but then, how am I still confused), but I found myself in the weeds on more than one occasion thinking "okay, who can do what now and why?". Part of this is probably due to the fact that the book is 550 pages long, and every 5 seconds something new and crazy is happening to our main characters. However, there were a lot of twists and turns that happened due to these things that I really enjoyed, and the sort of whimsical nature of the god's powers leaves a lot of doors open for potential solutions to problems, which Ross used creatively at several points.

A huge portion of this book, and I'd say the main draw and driving force, is a romance between Matilda, a goddess born of both immortal realms, and Vincent, a human boy who dreams of her, and whose dreams she is able to read about. I thought the romance was fine for the most part, though it didn't feel like anything was actually tying them together, at least on Matilda's side. Aside from a 'marriage' of convenience, which came out of nowhere. Vincent is more understandable, and we see that through his point of view chapters, and how he loved her pretty much the entire time he knew her. But Matilda reads a bit too cold and detached for me. I didn't buy that she truly fell in love with him until the end, though their ending I felt was lovely.

One of the big disappointments for me with this was, unfortunately, the prose. I think Ross' writing style is what draws a lot of readers to her work, and I completely understand why, but for me personally I did not click with it. I felt the lyricism was a bit too forced, with an overuse of metaphor and simile, and there was was quite a stilted and wooden form to it all that I didn't understand. I think this is more personal taste than objective bad quality (aside from a few errors, I'd assume due to this being an arc), but it was a huge drawback for my enjoyment of the story.

Wild Reverence is a solid entry into the interesting world Ross has built, and I would be curious to see what lies in store in any future entries.

My final note is the following:
** SPOILER WARNING **
I did not like Adria's effect on the final arc of the story, in regard to her stars and her magic crown. It was like a very niche solution written expressly to let Matilda do whatever she wanted, but it didn't really need to be done at all. Since Matilda died after Warin, she would have taken his powers anyways, and also Bade's, and would have been able to give them back to him (theoretically), right? Maybe I misread this whole interaction, but it felt like an unnecessary deus ex machina, so to speak. We have what feels like a very tightly-wound magic system, with enough open doors and flexibility to allow plenty of unique solutions (as I spoke to above), but this, to me, came out of nowhere and did not do Matilda justice.
**END SPOILERS**

Rebecca Ross's words are as transporting as ever. The way she is able to weave words together–creating these worlds and characters–is nothing short of magical. 

Absolutely loved this one. Don't even get me started on that epilogue 🥲

3.75🌟

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

Unlike a lot of the reviews I’ve read for this book, I actually really enjoyed the first few chapters. I found it very interesting to learn about Matilda and the story of her birth, the mysterious circumstances of her parentage, and how contentious the world of the divine is. I didn’t mind the pacing since the storytelling was so wonderful. Rebecca puts so much heart into her writing and it reads like poetry.

This is a beautiful story and I truly enjoyed most of it, but I will say there were parts that I did skip over a bit. I don’t want to give too much detail about the plot, but when I think back on parts of this book I get confused. Matilda does so much traveling between realms so often that it’s hard to recall timelines and what was taking place when she was gone, etc. There’s also some plot holes in the midst of this that aren’t glaring but still irk the mind a little.

It’s right in the middle of all this summoning/traveling that I started skimming pages. I was so eager to see what was going to happen that I found conversations with side characters and personal introspection to be trivial. There’s also a large section of the plot *cough* :Hugh: *cough* that I found superfluous.

After all the world building and backstory, I was really ready to get swept away by the romance. I think my expectations were too high, as I’ve seen other reviews mention. Matilda exists in Vincent’s dreams and she reads about them, having only interacted with each other twice before they become adults. Yet, we eventually learn of their intense and undying love for each other. I just needed MORE.. more reasons for their love. It didn’t shine through the pages at me. But I did really enjoy the end and all the yearning. 

Side note: I truly love Bade’s character arc and his relationship with Matilda was everything.

I have read four books by Rebecca Ross - both as parts of duologies - and have very much enjoyed both. The Elements of Cadence duology remains up in my favorites.
I was very excited to receive the opportunity from Netgalley to read an advanced e-copy of this book... even though I am not a kindle reader. I have a hard time falling into stories when I am reading them on my kindle.
For now, I am rating this book 4 stars. However, I will be rereading either the physical or audio copy as soon as it's released because I have a very strong suspicion the rating will change.
This story is a prequel to "Divine Rivals". I think this book will have the biggest emotional punch if readers have read that duology before this one. While it is billed as an adult read (whereas "Divine Rivals" is YA), I think the spicy scenes are not over the top. However, and I wish I had known this earlier, this book is a standalone (it is not a duology like I originally thought) and it's LONG. As I was reading I noticed the percentage read was very very slowly going up so I looked up the page count... almost 600 pages!
This story takes place in the same realm as "Divine Rivals" and readers will remember some of the characters. I really appreciated there was a list of characters at the beginning of the novel. Had I been reading a physical copy I would have been toggling to those pages often - it was a lot of characters to remember! I did toggle on my kindle, but it was never smooth!
This book takes place between three realms and a lot happens on these realms. Trust the process - remember what happens because while Ross weaves everything together, it does take a bit to get there!
The last 30% of the book was a wild ride. I could not turn the pages fast enough and I was very much annoyed when I was pulled away from the story. While we need the other 70% to get to that point, it's a bit slower, but yes, it all is needed.
I'm looking forward to a return read to this book, just through a different format! By the end of the book though, I really did want it to be a duology! I wasn't ready to say goodbye!

This book was so amazing. It felt like being wrapped in a warm hug. Rebecca Ross’s writing is so comforting and this story hits so much harder after reading the letters of enchantment. The ending of the book made me cry and I couldn’t recommend this book more!!

I can't even, with how much I loved this book. If you are a fan of Ross's writing, you are in for auch a treat. Ross has outdone herself. This story has elements from both of her recent duology's.

The magic system is intricately woven, the love story brings longing a new meaning, but where this story really shines for me was the main character's relationships throughout the book. You'll know exactly what I mean when you read it.

ALL THE FREAKING STARS FOR THIS ONE

A huge thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Born in the under realm, Matilda is deemed a lesser goddess who will yield limited magic at her birth, and thus not considered a threat in a land where gods often kill each other to steal power. Matilda is the herald of the gods and can swiftly deliver words and letters between realms. But she also has an unexpected connection with a mortal boy named, Vincent. A boy who dreams of her, despite having never met her. But when circumstances force Matilda to flee, both from the under realm where she was raised and from Vincent's dreams, it is ten long years before they see each other again. And when they do, she is a hardened lord of the river. And Matilda has grown into her power and is immensely sorry to have abandoned Vincent in a past time of need.

I adored this book. It is ethereal and other-worldly. It is filled with ruthless gods with magical abilities who are constantly scheming, killing, and making alliances. In this world of callous connections, Matilda stands out as a deeply loyal and empathetic goddess. This deep capacity to love and feel compassion for others is both Matilda's greatest weakness and ultimately her greatest strength.

This was achingly beautiful and hauntingly sad. Vincent and Matilda face great loss, hardship, and constant separation that disrupts their life and their burgeoning relationship. The whole novel, I was aching for them to find peace and to be given time with one another - all while knowing that the great tragedy that because Vincent is mortal, they will never have as much time together as they could have, given Matilda's immortality: "We were doomed, she and I. One day, I would perish, and she would live on, endless as the stars." Similarly, Matilda yearns for a father that will love and cherish her. The closest she has is the complicated yet tender relationship with the God of War, Bade, who is her ally thanks to a bargain made by Matilda's mother. This relationship was a beautiful love story in and of itself.

In addition to the moving story, this was beautifully written with striking turns of phrase and skillful descriptive language. Matilda describes the vow she makes with Bade saying, "the vow tasted like the brine of the sea. Like a night laden with tears. Like drops of sweat provoked by a merciless midday sun." Later, Matilda says that her "mother's displeasure was crisp like a tart apple." The god of the spring describes Matilda by saying, "You are parchment, ink, cloves. You are water dripping down stone, and the smoke of a burning scroll. You are something deeper, darker still."

This reminded me of a lush reimagining of Greek mythology. With its pantheon of fighting gods, casual discarding of mortals, and visits to different realms and the underworld, it brilliantly echoes many Greek myths. It reminded me of other Greek-inspired novels such as Helen of Troy by Margaret George or The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

This is a prequel novel to Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows by the same author. And while this is a standalone novel that can absolutely be enjoyed without having read the others, I absolutely adored the way she tied this story to the plot of those novels in the epilogue. It was brilliant.

I have no notes. I loved this. It was beautifully done.

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would! This is set in the same world as Divine Rivals and is so amazing in its world building and setting up the eventual future that we see in Divine Rivals. Matilda and Vincent are literally everything and I was gasping through this whole book. Rebecca Ross has done it again!!!!

This was stunning,
I raced through it and loved every second. There were some loose ends I would have liked to seen addressed towards the end of the book but not enough to deter me, it was more something I thought of after.
Overall, I thought this beautifully written, well paced and I'd recommend it to anyone!