Name: Divine Rivals
ISBN: 9780008588151

Rebecca Ross

Letters of Enchantment #1

Divine Rivals

Do you ever feel as if you wear armor, day after day? That when people look at you, they see only the shine of steel that you’ve so carefully encased yourself in? They see what they want to see in you—the warped reflection of their own face, or a piece of the sky, or a shadow cast between buildings. They see all the times you’ve made mistakes, all the times you’ve failed, all the times you’ve hurt them or disappointed them. As if that is all you will ever be in their eyes.

How do you change something like that? How do you make your life your own and not feel guilt over it?

Elena M.

Jazelle H

Victoria

Courtney Passio

But I think there is a magical link between you and me. A bond that not even distance can break. 

chel

I think we all wear armor. I think those who don’t are fools, risking the pain of being wounded by the sharp edges of the world, over and over again. But if I’ve learned anything from those fools, it’s that to be vulnerable is a strength most of us fear. It takes courage to let down your armor, to welcome people to see you as you are. Sometimes I feel the same as you: I can’t risk having people behold me as I truly am. But there’s also a small voice in the back of my mind, a voice that tells me,“You will miss so much by being so guarded.”

Perhaps it begins with one person. Someone you trust. You remove a piece of armor for them; you let the light stream in, even if it makes you wince. Perhaps that is how you learn to be soft yet strong, even in fear and uncertainty. One person, one piece of steel.

blue

I love the words I write until I soon realize how much I hate them, as if I am destined to always be at war within myself.

How do you make your life your own and not feel guilt over it? 

Hyacinthe Karin

Pedro Rodarte

I don’t think you realize how strong you are, because sometimes strength isn’t swords and steel and fire, as we are so often made to believe. Sometimes it’s found in quiet, gentle places. The way you hold someone’s hand as they grieve. The way you listen to others. The way you show up, day after day, even when you are weary or afraid or simply uncertain. 

Turn a foe into a friend, and you’ll have one less enemy.

“It feels like wearing shoes that are too small,” she whispered. “With every step, you notice it. It feels like blisters on your heels. It feels like a lump of ice in your chest that never melts, and you can only sleep a few hours at a time, because you’re always wondering where they are and those worries seep into your dreams. If they’re alive, or wounded, or sick. Some days you wish that you could take their place, no matter the cost. Just so you can have the peace of knowing their fate.”

But I realize that people are just people, and they carry their own set of fears, dreams, desires, pains, and mistakes. I can’t expect someone else to make me feel complete; I must find it on my own.

Remmi Ahmed

Sometimes I can’t draw a full breath. Between my worry and my fear … my lungs are small because I don’t know where you are. 

Has anyone ever told you that you squint when you lie?                              

No, but only because no one has spent as much time looking at me as you do, Winnow.”

You and I… we need to stay together. We’re better this way. 

Syrina

Sometimes strength isn’t swords and steel and fire, as we are so often made to believe. Sometimes it’s found in quiet, gentle places. The way you hold someone’s hand as they grieve. The way you listen to others. The way you show up, day after day, even when you are weary or afraid or simply uncertain. That is strength, and I see it in you. 

Hannah Nugent

I think we all wear armor. I think those who don't are fools, risking the pain of being wounded by the sharp edges of the world, over and over again. But if I've learned anything from those fools, it is that to be vulnerable is a strength most of us fear. It takes courage to let down your armor, to welcome people to see you as you are. 

I think we all wear armor. I think those who don’t are fools, risking the pain of being wounded by the sharp edges of the world, over and over again. But if I’ve learned anything from those fools, it is that to be vulnerable is a strength most of us fear. It takes courage to let down your armor, to welcome people to see you as you are. Sometimes I feel the same as you: I can’t risk having people behold me as I truly am. But there’s also a small voice in the back of my mind, a voice that tells me, ‘You will miss so much by being so guarded.’

But time will slowly heal you, as it is doing for me. There are good days and there are difficult days. Your grief will never fully fade; it will always be with you--a shadow you carry in your soul--but it will become fainter as your life becomes brighter. You will learn to live outside of it again, as impossible as that may sound. Others who share your pain will also help you heal. Because you are not alone. Not in your fear or your grief or your hopes or your dreams. You are not alone.

It was almost surreal to Iris, to return to something that felt outwardly so familiar when she felt inwardly so different.

It’s not a crime to feel joy, even when things seem hopeless.

But then he realized he was reading them because he was deeply moved by her writing and the memories she shared. Sometimes he studied the way she spun words and language, and it made him both envious and awed. She knew how to stir up feelings in a reader, which Roman found quite dangerous.

When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

Letters of Enchantment #1

Tiana holt

Sina Meier

Gives WW2 mixed with a bit of fantasy vibes

It started so well and different but got quite boring, kinda disappointed with the ‘enemies to lovers’ - they were enemies for about 30 seconds

Only reading the second one because this one was left on a cliffhanger 

Ella Williams

Gives WW2 mixed with a bit of fantasy vibes

It started so well and different but got quite boring, kinda disappointed with the ‘enemies to lovers’ - they were enemies for about 30 seconds

Only reading the second one because this one was left on a cliffhanger 

I liked this well enough but the pacing was... a choice. Just very weird to a point where it made the romance feel instalove-y. They are - spoilers - rivals, in any meaningful sense of the word, for about 20 minutes. But the chemistry was good so I guess there was that. Not getting-married-at-18 good but good.

Also the world-building was just not there, period. It almost comes off as if Ross did not want to write a WWI / WWII story because there is actual research involved and would much rather make sure the setting is convenient to the plot (can you imagine what the ending is hinting at if this novel were set during WWII, for example?) The trouble with stories like these is that the point of real-life history to which the in-story setting is equivalent is too close to current times to not take away from the fantasy aspect of it. (I think fantasy novels ask a very valid question as to whether we would have invented cars, for example, if we had magic.)

I think what also makes this stick out so much to me at the moment is that I finished Katherine Arden's "The Warm Hands of Ghosts" recently. Its premise, setting-wise, is not dissimilar; and it still features magical elements, in spite of being very grounded in historic events. And trust me when I say, it was dramatically better executed.

And while I feel like "Divine Rivals" was a little underdeveloped, I am simultaneously happy that Ross had the self-restraint not to make this 700 pages of repetitive scenes to try and convince us Roman and Iris are in love, as it seems to be common for the genre. I feel like I need to acknowledge this, as well as the premise and potential of the series - thus, the rating.

I liked this well enough but the pacing was... a choice. Just very weird to a point where it made the romance feel instalove-y. They are - spoilers - rivals, in any meaningful sense of the word, for about 20 minutes. But the chemistry was good so I guess there was that. Not getting-married-at-18 good but good.

Also the world-building was just not there, period. It almost comes off as if Ross did not want to write a WWI / WWII story because there is actual research involved and would much rather make sure the setting is convenient to the plot (can you imagine what the ending is hinting at if this novel were set during WWII, for example?) The trouble with stories like these is that the point of real-life history to which the in-story setting is equivalent is too close to current times to not take away from the fantasy aspect of it. (I think fantasy novels ask a very valid question as to whether we would have invented cars, for example, if we had magic.)

I think what also makes this stick out so much to me at the moment is that I finished Katherine Arden's "The Warm Hands of Ghosts" recently. Its premise, setting-wise, is not dissimilar; and it still features magical elements, in spite of being very grounded in historic events. And trust me when I say, it was dramatically better executed.

And while I feel like "Divine Rivals" was a little underdeveloped, I am simultaneously happy that Ross had the self-restraint not to make this 700 pages of repetitive scenes to try and convince us Roman and Iris are in love, as it seems to be common for the genre. I feel like I need to acknowledge this, as well as the premise and potential of the series - thus, the rating.

౨ৎ | “but i think there is a magical link between you and me. a bond that not even distance can break.”

i’m a sucker for enemies to lovers and the workplace aspect. i absolutely fell in love with iris and roman and i wish i could forget about this book just to reread it again. once i started i couldn’t put it down till it was finished to which i then thought about it for hours after.

౨ৎ | “but i think there is a magical link between you and me. a bond that not even distance can break.”

— ★ 5/5

i’m a sucker for enemies to lovers and the workplace aspect. i absolutely fell in love with iris and roman and i wish i could forget about this book just to reread it again. once i started i couldn’t put it down till it was finished to which i then thought about it for hours after.

reread count: ll

Eu tava sedento por um livro que me deixasse completamente imerso, e finalmente achei um. Esse é um livro espetacular, extremamente bem escrito, sem defeito nenhum? Não. Eu não tô nem aí? Sim :). As vezes tudo que você precisa é de um mundo interessante, um cenário bem construído e um romance bem tropey que te deixa giggling kicking your feet.

It’s mysterious. It’s full of yearning. It made me laugh. I thoroughly enjoyed Divine Rivals. It’s a bit of a slow start, but the second half is full of twists and turns. The end was heart wrenching and I cannot wait to read the sequel.

Alissa 

alexys <3

it did what it needed to do for me by being fast paced and keeping me engaged. it was kinda insta love but still felt endearing. i did like the magical aspects and how the fantasy elements were set up it was interesting to see it kinda feel like mythology retelling during wartime. 

ariana :)

one of those books where the author tells you you should care about the romance instead of showing the characters and letting you start to root for them yourself. the whole book felt a bit forced in all aspects but was mostly enjoyable, although lost me a bit with the whole marriage thing

rachel

whoever called this book enemies to lovers lied to me.

shiya

i honestly forgot what had gotten into me until i decided to pick up this book. this book was beautifully written, it was poetic but not overly so. the romance and the character were decent. but the plot, somehow, became vvvvvv dull towards the end that i had to find my reason not to drop this book (by looking through fanart). there were simply not enough stakes and thrills to keep me invested. i guess i’m just not keen of this kind of story 😭

hana

I enjoyed the opening and Ross' prose, but the story might have worked better had the only fantasy element been the magical typewriters. The gods and the war upon which the premise of the novel are so flimsy that it is hard to care about the circumstances that shape the characters. "World War I except the politics have been stripped and replaced with bootleg Hades and Persephone with poorly explained opposing sides" is a setting that distracts more than it provides context or intrigue. It doesn't help that the pacing is clunky (especially the leap from rivals to lovers!) or that the side characters are paper-thin plot devices. Most baffling is the use of dual POVs in a novel that doesn't need one: imagine if, like Divine Rivals, Pride and Prejudice had been written with 80% of Elizabeth's POV and intermittently flipped to Darcy's for the rest, thereby sabotaging the impact of learning both his feelings and development as a character.

alice

Oh my gods literally. Roman and Iris are one of my new favorite couples ever. The rivals to lovers was rivals to lovers-ing. The ending I can't wait to read the second one!!

Stella 💫

Let's start off with what I found most impressive, the writing! It is beautiful; it is immersive; it is heartfelt. The voice actors did a great job narrating this book! I loved the plot and the unexpected ending. And the characters didn't read as flat, they had their goals and dreams and pasts, and most importantly, they showed growth as the story proceeded. Iris took her time getting rid of her prejudices, but when she finally did it was beautiful. Once she realized Roman gave her no reason not to believe (in) him, she shed the untrustworthiness she felt that was only a disguise for her fear. In comparison, it took Roman little time to move past his prejudices. However, that didn't mean it was the end of his character arc. He made decisions, faced their consequences, got inspired, and learned along the way. They both inspired each other and learned on their journey. What I enjoyed less was the reveal that he was Carver, although Iris reacted rationally which is what I wanted, the reveal in and on itself was underwhelming: the way she found out was not exciting at all. Lastly, the author did a great job in their commentary on the press and its crucial role in (mis)informing folks. They touched on how easily the news can be manipulated and how the government and the press only show us what they want to see. All in all, it was a good read, I'm looking forward to reading the second book. And kudos to the author for including a queer couple!

Slow to start with but soon quickens and several twists and turns. Really nice read. 

Charlotte Osborne 

issa

This was a really good book! I love the characterization so much. The language and the flow of events is poetic, almost like a dance. Absolutely amazing! I want to read it again!

Camron Swartzendruber

Still debating on the 5 stars cause the world/magic/gods/typewriters idea is incredible! But the plot a little lacking on one specific point. But we can look past that. 

Nina May

Best book in this year so far ngl.

Still debating on the 5 stars cause the world/magic/gods/typewriters idea is incredible! But the plot a little lacking on one specific point. But we can look past that. 

Divine Rivals has been one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I think the author is such a good writer and I love the poetical way she describes things. This book made me love words and writing more than I already do. The plot is in-depth, well thought out, and intriguing. The romance is adorable and this book made me feel deeply- both pain and joy.

Jeweliet Coffee

Ok so this was a really great story but I so desperately wished that it had discussed the politics of the war more and was like 200 pages longer. The two main protagonists needed more time together to really evolve their relationship to the level it was at. Overall it’s a great read— would recommend!

Abigail Marie

Madii

3.75/5. It's okay. The romance between the protagonists got me bored af. But the tale between the god Dacre and goddess Enva got me 💕. I wish Rebecca would write more about gods and goddesses romance or something.

OMGJAKFJSKFJWKFJSKE WTF this was so good aaa so funnn (also ive been putting it off for so long and in kinda glad bc now i only have to wait like a month and a half for the second one instead of like 8 months)

Divine Rivals Letters of Enchantment #1