A big thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for making this ALC sneak peek available.

It’s difficult to rate a book based on having about 20% of the story but I’ll do my best.

Set in the Letters of Enchantment world, but taking place long before, this story follows Matilda, a goddess caught between the skyward and under realms. As a young teen she briefly befriends a boy named Vincent in the mortal world through dreams, but due to her precarious position among the gods she disappears from his life for many years.

We learn a lot more about the gods, their politics, and their magic than in Divine Rivals. Ross vividly paints an intricate and dangerous world for Matilda to navigate amid the gods. The world building is layered and complex, but easily traversed through Matilda’a experience. I can’t wait to see what happens with her time in the mortal world.

As with Divine Rivals, the characters seem so real I feel like I know them, even when they don’t have a lot of time on the page. Although Matilda longs for the human quality of love, she understands it is a weakness she can not afford in order to survive among the gods. But she is resilient and kind. Her brief friendship with Vincent early in the story sets the stage for heartbreak, but possibly a love that defies the divide between humans and gods.

Ross’s writing feels like being guided through an adventure by someone you trust. Gently but fearlessly she guides you through triumph and heartbreak, and you know that regardless of what happens you are in good hands.

The narrators for this audiobook are perfect. They do a fantastic job in bringing Matilda and Vincent’s story to life.

4⭐️ because it is difficult to truly rate a book with only part of the story. I will post a full review on Goodreads this month after listening to the entire book on Audible, and the rating is subject to change based on the full book.
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Full review after finishing book:

If you loved the Letters of Enchantment series and were hoping for background on the gods and their magic, you will probably love this story. This is a more adult, traditional fantasy than Divine Rivals. Ross’s lyrical style is even more poetic and ethereal, and there were times when I thought she could have been writing about anything and I would have loved it. But she created a world and characters that fully locked me in.

Matilda is a herald, the first goddess born from skyward and underling parents (they are enemies), with magic that allows her to deliver letters across all realms. She befriends a boy named Vincent through his dreams, and after meeting unexpectedly in the mortal world they are drawn to each other. Their friendship is abruptly cut short and they do not see each other again until they are both adults, when she brings him a letter written by death.

Matilda and Vincent’s story is molded by Ross’s haunting prose and the contrast between their worlds. For gods love is a weakness to be exploited, and it seems inevitable that Matilda and Vincent have a one way ticket to tragedy. None of this is unfamiliar in fantasy, but Ross still manages to pull us into a story that is memorable. Somehow her writing is magic infused.

The love story is epic, and the biggest barrier for Matilda and Vincent isn’t the difference in lifespan between gods and mortals. The characters feel real, with flaws, messy mistakes, and hidden agendas. The world touches your senses: I felt claustrophobic in the darkness of the underworld and parched in the wasteland of death. It’s all overshadowed by a sense of tragedy because the gods aren’t just satisfied with trying to get the upper hand over each other, they have to play with mortals too.

If there’s one thing I love about a prequel written later, it’s that I’m not stuck on a cliffhanger waiting for the next book. The epilogue transitions seamlessly into Divine Rivals.

4⭐️’s kindle edition, 5⭐️’s audio version (dual narration, they were awesome)

This was a great audiobook sample. We got roughly the first 125 pages of this book. The narrator did a wonderful job giving everyone their own distinct voices. I have read Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows prior so I was vaguely familiar with the pantheon of gods in this book, but besides Dacre and Alva everyone else was fairly unknown. We follow Matilda, the youngest goddess of her clan, with few knowing anything about her at all. She lives in her mother's shadow until something makes her mother get Bade, the god of War, to swear to be her protector. He ends up being a father figure to Matilda and teaches her to defend herself. She is lent scrolls depicting dreams and nightmares of the humans by Alva and she becomes attached to a certain mortal boy, Vincent. He had been dreaming of her before they'd even met. Their paths cross when Matilda ventures to the Mortal Realm for the first time. Through a series of events caused by the war between the humans in the mortal realm, Matilda is revealed to the Underling Court and her abilities as a Herald. She delivers a message which starts the end of her life as she knew it, and entering a new chapter of it.

I really enjoyed this as it felt stylistically more similar to A River Enchanted and A Fire Endless. The prose felt more lyrical and winding without ever being too much. It's less straight forward and blunt but still get the point across while painting a picture. I have my hardback copy in hand and will be continuing on.

Beautiful writing and storytelling. This sneak peek was very heavy on the world building and the journey of the FMC becoming who she is. That said, the sneak peek ended right as we were really getting to know Vincent. I thought the audiobook was so well done and kept me intrigued. I'll be listening to the rest of the audiobook soon!

Loving the audio so far. I actually waited till I could listen all the way thru on the release and it’s well written and interesting. I love the MC’s which I so often don’t in fantasies. Still partway thru the full book but it’s great!

Divine Rivals is one of my favorite books EVER so I was thrilled to get this sneak peak. Ross's writing style is captivating and enchanting as always and I can't wait to tackle the full novel.

With the audiobook this book is much much better I think I can understand better the story this way. I was a very complicated world for me to understand but that's on me because this is my first book of Rebecca Ross. But it was a really good story, the world building was great, the characters everything. I really enjoyed.

Thank you to the publisher for the sneak peak of the ALC! As far as prequels go, this was really well done. However, because I hadn't read Divine Rivals in a while, it took me a while to recall some of the world building, and I also thought there would have been more about the Divine Rivals timeline. Nevertheless, I believe that what makes this prequel so fantastic is that you don't need to be familiar with what Rebecca Ross previously outlined in order to enjoy the story.

This was a lovely tale rich with emerging love, conflict that divides families, and the creation of personal identity. I can’t wait to continue the story!

short and sweet, just what i needed to get me jump started on this read, thank you for giving out this sample of audio.

"For anyone who has ever had to let go of someone they love." This story is very beautifully written and captured my attention as soon as I started. Set in the same world as Divine Rivals before Iris and Roman, this story follows a divine immortal, Matilda, who in her journey to discover and come into her powers keeps meeting a mortal, Vincent, in his dreams and then subsequently in person. They develop a very tender and genuine friendship that slowly grows into love. Watching them work at their relationship despite all the obstacles thrown their way is the best part of the book. Can love really exist between an immortal and a mortal? The story is compelling and has plenty of action to grab your attention. There are a lot of side characters that are very well fleshed out too, so you will grow attached to them. Bade, you are among my favorites! Be sure to have some tissues when you are reading this because there definitely will be some tears. One of the best stories I've read this year! Now this is how a prequel should be! Strong enough to stand on its own. Matilda and Vincent will be forever in my heart. When I look at the stars, I will think of them!

I loved having the audiobook as a companion to my reading. The narrators were so good and they are exactly how I imagined the characters to sound. They brought the story to life! Thank you to Macmillan audio and Net galley for giving me this sneak peak. I loved it so much I ended up purchasing the audiobook!

I began this audio as a preview arc and then went and bought the audio - it was that wonderful. The narrators do a lovely job and make you feel immersed in this story. Truly wonderful.

Loved the preview to this audio book. The narrators were great and very easy to understand and kept my attention.

This 18 chapter sneak peak was great!!! I actually read this book n my kindle before it came out. The audiobook really brought these characters and this story to life! The narrator’s did a great job! I’m loving this series! I received this sneak peak from Macmillan audio and netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Rebecca Ross’s beautiful prose and detailed world building is once again inspiring in Wild Reverence. This is an adult, open-door story set in the Divine Rivals world. This is a very long book, and it did take me until about the 30% mark to really get into it, but after that, I could not put it down. I loved the stories of Matilda traveling between worlds. I only wish some of the characters had gotten the justice they deserved and that others had given us a chance to see them happy. The audiobook narration by Hannah van der Westhuysen and George Weightman was perfect. I really enjoyed the audiobook.

This first 18 chapter sneak peek was exactly what I needed to get excited about Rebecca Ross’s new release! I am so happy to be back in this magical and lyrical world. I’m hooked already.

I love this world and was happy to go back into it
Cant wait to read the full book when my hold comes in from the library

i have only listened to the sneak peek and will publish a review online once i finish the rest of the audiobook that i purchased with my own money because i was so eager to continue once i finish listening to another audiobook i was listening to. i enjoyed this very much!! i was skeptical at first but i feel like the book was just starting to get really interesting at the point where the audiobook stopped.

Just having the first 18 chapters to listen to is cruel!
As someone that loves the Letters of Enchantment series, I was ecstatic to learn we were getting another book with in that world. Ross is a masterful world builder, creating such an interesting magic system. I love seeing the perspective of a goddess and how the hierarchy of gods works within this world before the events of Divine Rivals.
I cannot wait to finish the rest of the story!
Huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this sneak preview of the audiobook!

I could tell from the first words this book would break my heart in all the best ways! The writing, the narration, the production of the audiobook, it's all chef's kiss!

While I'm still working on this book and continuing to listen to it, I can't imagine simply reading the book, the narrators add a new layer of life to the story.

Thank you Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for the first 18 chapters of the audio book!

*I plan to update this review once I'm done with the whole book and will be sharing socially once I've completed the full book.*

I have yet to read the Divine Rivals duology (it is on my list), but this sample of Wild Reverence was enough to suck me in and get me excited to read this whole series.

The narrators do an excellent job, and I can wait to finish the book!

When beautiful, lyrical prose rivals the action, emotions and plot…full of adventure and a slow-burn romance between immortal and mortal, this book had me hooked just as the previous two books in this world. Fate connects Matilda, a herald for the gods, and Vincent, a lord with a damaged family. Their story is immersive, magical and captivatingly heartbreaking. I was in awe of the world created in the Letters of Entrenchment duology, and this prequel provided the history and foundation to make it even more amazing.
I had the pleasure to listen to an early sneak peek of the first act in audiobook courtesy of @macmillan.audio via @netgalley. The cast of narrators, George Weightman, Hannah van der Westhuysen and Rebecca Norfolk, did a fantastic job. Their narration was nothing short of magical. 4.5 stars