There isn't a couple more perfect than Roman and Iris. What a fun and unique enemies to lovers story, filled with tender words and the perfect amount of romance. I loved watching (reading?) them come together to conquer the evil god.

Am I getting to finally write this review very late? Like nearly a year and a half late? Yes.
Did this book reach it’s grubby little paws into my chest and take over my heart? Yes.
So here is a vastly under-needed book review for a story that went viral, but one that I still think is worth sharing.

Rebecca Ross has been an auto-buy author for me since I fell in love with her Queen’s Rising series. Which while the series came out in 2018, I didn’t find it until 2021 when I was starting to dive into audiobooks deeply–and when I started falling very behind on blogging. I loved the premise behind it but I loved her writing even more. Fast forward to when a friend was able to read Divine Rivals early, wasn’t legally allowed to tell us about it, but all she said was that it was one of the best stories she’s read… I was on tenterhooks waiting for it to be released.

And then… I got approved for the ARC, right before I moved, right before I got my new job. I started reading, got about 80 pages in, and knew it was going to emotionally devastate me. I didn’t have time on that trip to read the rest of the book at once, so I set it down. And after my life finally got settled again I was so intimidated by it, by the beautiful editions that arrived, I told myself to wait for the perfect moment. Friends I don’t know who else does this, but while I fully believe that the story will come to you at the right time, waiting for the perfect moment for anything is just depriving yourself. So after a friend came over and I sent her home with one of my copies. I finally just pulled it down and read it. All in one sitting. I think I read it in less than three hours? Or maybe just over. However, I was obsessed.

While I knew it was going to be vaguely magical realism, I didn’t realize quite how full of magic this story would be, how the world is full of magic, how the gods interacting with the war is much more real than I’d expected. Additionally for a war book… I don’t know what I was expecting, but the grittiness that this has was not it. Even though I’ve read books where she’s written battle scenes, this had a much different feel. Overall while I’d say the setting is dark, it’s not desolate. But the grittiness, the striving, the struggle of the characters bleeds through. While the setting is such a huge part of the story, at it’s core this is a love story and that gives the tale more whimsy, more hope, and I ate it up like it was a pan of brownies.

I loved the determination to prove themselves that both Roman and Iris have. I loved getting to see from both of their eyes and follow their relationship from rivals to lovers. The letters. TEAM THE LETTERS. They were everything. I am a sucker for an epistolary, for any kind of ephemera. So to have it within the text to be formatted so beautifully that you feel like you are reading over the character’s shoulders? Amazing.

Fair warning. It ends on a cliff hanger, and I was not ready. My heart was not ready for being crumpled up and then stretched out again. I immediately called my friend to freak out to her. I then went back and wrote down three pages of quotes that just hit my heart. I was already going to be a goner for this story but, not am I uniquely able to cosplay Iris as her features nearly match mine, but we find out in the story that her two favorite flowers are Lilacs and Irises… which are my favorite flowers and always have been. So this review of sheer gushing is probably a bit biased, but really when a book touches you this deeply, you need to share it with everyone else.

I've been sitting on this one for a while but omfg??? WHAT A RIDE. This book was absolutely amazing. I don't think I can actually put it in words. You just have to read this and then immediately grab the sequel because that cliffie will not let you rest in peace till you have!

4 star read

What?! The ending was brutal! I am eagerly anticipating the next novel.

I was able to envision most of the settings without too much description, which is something I enjoy. Too many 'flowery' words turns me off. I felt the cold. The desolation. The trenches of war. The beautiful scenery on the hill.

I did feel like the novel started out a bit too slow. The abrupt cliff hanger ending was rather undesirable as well since I don't care too much for novels that end like this just to get you to read the next one in the series. I have to reread to remember everything that happened in the first novel. And there are so many books to read out there, so it's hard for me to do a reread.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

From Goodreads:

This one was a DNF for me. I really tried, but over halfway in, and I'm falling asleep during the war with hellhounds bursting out? It was like reading another historical fiction about WWII (which I won't read any more historical fiction books about the war), but let's add some mythological element to it.

I know there are a lot of people that love this series, but I really didn't like the war element to this story. I think the market oversaturated us with war stories. I just don't want to read about wars anymore.

I am super late reviewing this title, but I just finished it this weekend. The characters are a delight! I loved how the story developed and even the cliff-hanger wasn't as bad as I thought. One benefit to being late is the second title is already out. I'm on a waiting list for it and can't wait to dig in!

An absolutely, breathtaking, tragic masterpiece...I’ll be feeling this one for a longggg time. I cannot WAIT to dive into book two!!

By turns spooky, otherworldly, and delightful, this is hard to categorize--a romance, a myth, and war story. Highly recommend.

I requested this novel based off the Author. I didnt read what it would be about. And i was surprised! I LOVED this novel, it was set up amazingly. Rebecca obviously put a lot of thought into the story! The letters tug at my heartstrings. The lore and setting (war) is very unique and interesting too.

This book absolutely swept me away. Ross' writing is beautiful. This book may have landed itself on my all-time favorites list. 5/5 stars

Divine Rivals is a wonderfully unique book. I feel like this premise of two reporters in the midst of a divine war was a concept I have not read before. It was a great mix of realistic and fantastic and I found myself devouring it in large chunks at a time. I really enjoyed Iris and Roman's dynamic. I loved the development of their relationship and the exploration of each of the characters as individuals. I am really looking forward to book 2. This one ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, but in a way that I enjoyed. It didn't just feel like it stopped mid-scene like some books I have read. It felt like it was building up to the next chapter, and I can't wait to get there. I will definitely be looking for more from Rebecca Ross in the future.

There sure is a lot of hype about this book. I listened to the audio of this book.

I get the hype, but there was something missing for me. Don’t get me wrong. This is a great book. It just was not a five stars for me. I really wanted more perspective of the God Deaker (sp). Honestly until the last few chapters this could have been a standalone, with a random side story of the God’s and why the war was happening.

Audiobook had a male and female narrator, which I really loved.

This was such a good romance book. I loved the characters, the setting and their letters! I'm in love with both of them !

A fun enemies to lovers YA start to a duology. It's kind of historical fiction in that it's in the past, but with the addition of magic and gods being the cause of the war. It's an interesting mix of the two genres. I look forward to continuing Iris and Roman's story in the next book.

A fantasy book that adults will enjoy. The story and characters are riveting. This book is hard to put down. Even if you aren't a big fantasy fan, you will find something to love about this book.

It may partly have been because I was doing a reading race with a friend, but I felt like I really devoured this book! It was such a joy to read and really lived up to the hype for me. I didn't expect that ending and I need to read book 2 immediately (I'm glad I waited to read this until after the 2nd book was already out). I will definitely be reading more books by Rebecca Ross in the future!

I don't know why I kept putting off reading this. I do regret that greatly now because once I picked it up, I had a really hard time putting it down to do other things. From the very first page with Forest saying goodbye to Iris and heading off to fight in a war of gods (very intriguing but awful with Dacre trying to get to Enva and both using humans for their own ends) and then Iris trying to hold things together as her mother spirals and Forest goes missing. That heartbreak mixed with the mysterious letters that Iris and Roman send each other, thanks to certain special typewriters. This was an interesting world where there are dead or slumbering gods, magical items and buildings and good people trying to survive the gods. I think Iris is so strong the way that after she loses everything, she makes the choice to go to the front lines as a war correspondent to tell the truth and find her brother. And Roman is perfect in going after her. They are such a cute and witty couple and by the end I was cheering for them and then crying because that ending! I need the next book stat!

So, really really good and a smooth read that begs to be read in one sitting if at all possible. I hope the next one delves deeper into the gods and their powers and I really hope that humans will survive them!

Rebecca Ross can do no wrong. I love her writing style, her heartbreaking plots, and her characters that feel like they're real. I cannot WAIT to read the next book!

“The days to come will only grow darker. And when you find something good? You hold onto it. You don’t waste time worrying about things that won’t even matter in the end. Rather, you take a risk for the light.”

I loved Iris right from the start and found both Iris and Kitt to be interesting and relatable. I tend not to enjoy romantic books set against a backdrop of war but the balance was really well done here.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3