This writing was not good. It felt very amateurish and needed a LOT more editing. I couldn't make it past a few pages without putting it down.

I wanted to read this book because of the premise and it did deliver!
The world building is different than anything I’ve read before. I like the mythology aspect and how each god distributes a new type of magic to seven people whether they want it or not.
Mona really didn’t want her magic, but was chosen after the accidental death of her brother. She is “blessed” to divine soulmates. She is a well written character and I really enjoyed her own personal story.
The romance is a little bit too spicy for YA, but who knows, I’m sure things have changed!
I was a little disappointed that Divine Mortals doesn’t have a solid ending and had no idea this is a series. I will be picking up the next one.

This book was perfect for SJM fans. I loved this so much - the concept of being able to name a soulmate was so fun and I loved the competition aspect. I hope more people read this!

Mona Arnett is a voluntary shut-in; following the accidental death of her brother when she was 8, which she blames herself for, she refuses to leave her parents' house. Despite that, she has built a following for her services as a diviner of soulmates, a unique skill among the various magics that exist in her society. Then one day, she is visited by an emissary of the king, who needs a bride, and is seeking assistance in finding the right one. Mona is invited - perhaps coerced might be a better word - to join in a contest of seers to determine who the king's next bride should be. Thus begins a story of intrigue, romance, and magic, with a slightly odd and unique twist of its own.

Divine Mortals is book one in a duology; unlike many other novels written as the first in a series, this one comes to a conclusion, with just a teaser for the second book to come. This is something I appreciate, that this novel came to a conclusion while leaving me interested in reading the sequel, rather than being part one of a serial. Due to mature themes, this novel is recommended for readers ages 16 and up.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m a sucker for fresh mythology re-telling an and this didn’t disappoint. I think this will work well for older teens who love slow-burn romantasy books.

For teens and adults who like Fantasy books that are in the realm of Gods vs. mortals, this might be for you. Lots in this book reminiscent of Greek mythology. There's also some Romance although I found it implausible the upstanding male character would be attracted to our main heroine, who is from the start very antagonizing. Mona is secretly haunted by her brother Patrick and its her shame over his death that causes her to do many of the things she does. She is also someone who can divine people's soulmates. Whitman, an advisor to magicians and the King, brings Mona to the castle so that she can divine who the King should marry. Meanwhile, the reason Isaac the King needs to marry in the first place is because he's very ill. Lots of corrupt magicians and royal hangers on. This plot is a bit messy. It's all too predictable that the person Mona divines as being Isaac's one true love is herself. But then there are about fifty plot twists that follow that one, so I'll let you read for yourself. The book moves pretty quickly, so if you're looking for some entertainment, magic, and lots of teen melodrama, pick this one up.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Good Romantasy. I felt like book was a little slow in the middle, but once the pace picked up I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to book two.

REVIEW: Divine Mortals

Divine Mortals by Amanda M. Helander was an interesting take on a fantasy novel. The world is run by the Seven who are gods. Some of these gods have chosen a favored mortal who they give magical gifts and teach them. After the accidental death of her brother, Mona is selected as a favored mortal who can find someone’s soulmate through a reading. The king sends Master Whitman to bring her to the castle to find his soulmate since he is very ill; however, Mona does not like to leave her home after her brother’s death.

Diving Mortals is a fantasy with some romance and is listed as a young adult book. I’m not sure I would agree it is a young adult book due to some of the violence and spice within the book. I would probably put this as a new adult or adult book.

I enjoyed this world and the adventures in it. It was a different story than I had read before, but it still had some familiar fantasy and romance tropes. I love the elements of castles, kings, soulmates, and magic. There were many twists and turns along the way and I didn’t know how it would end. The conclusion just left me wanting more! Thankfully a sequel has been announced.
Mona, Master Whitman, and Byer all have dark pasts that continue to haunt them. This affects a lot of their actions throughout the story. I love all the wit the characters have and a lot of back and forth. The chemistry between the characters both romantically and platonicly hits well.

Some parts of Divine Mortals were slow: there were parts where it seemed like nothing was going on. Some of those scenes could have been removed to give more time to the ending where I wanted more. Also, the romance was quite a slow burn and at times felt really one-sided.

Overall I really enjoy Divine Mortals and I cannot wait to read the next one when it comes out!

Thank you, Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide | Disney Hyperion, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

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The first chapter of this completely hooked me--though I did find myself drifting a little after that. This was an incredibly fresh story that felt new and like something I hadn't read before.

Loved the concept, feel so-so about the execution. Apparently this was originally meant to be new adult but was aged down to YA and that might be part of the issue for me. Mona at times feels like she's written to be much younger than she is, and at other times much older. It's something I've noticed in a lot of recent YA fantasy - publishers really need to get it together and let YA be YA and NA be an actual thing.

A young woman with powers to see who one’s soulmate is is taken on an adventure of a lifetime. Trying to figure out how to avoid her own soulmate while solving the mystery of why her world’s magic is slowly disintegrating and dodging threats on her life makes for one busy woman! This l captured me quickly as its characters are unique and its creative plot held me with its detailed twists and full bodied story line. Secrets, betrayals, mystery and magic flow freely and I simply liked everything about this getting to know oneself fantasy.

2.5 stars
I didn’t love this, but I didn’t hate it either. I wanted to love it, but I just kept finding myself drifting and not getting invested. I like Mona as an overall character, as she is a bit of a hot mess and aren’t we all?? I don’t know if the book was lacking in world-building or what it was exactly that was the problem. I can’t put my finger on it. I did continue to read because I was interested in what would happen, so there is a positive to it. It was just mediocre for me.

An interesting story of Mona Arnet as she struggles to hide from a world after her brother's death. She has been favored by a mythological God to identify soul mates. As she struggles to overcome her agoraphobia, she is brought into the games of a royal court and the gods themselves. It's great how she grows as a person with the help of 2 unlikely allies and ultimately takes on the gods themselves. I'm really hoping for another installment soon.

Here's the thing. I don't think this was an inherently bad book BUT it wasn't great... Divine Mortal by Amanda Helander should have been good. It's everything that I love in a book, fantasy with a slow burn romance, an interesting magic system and a new and creative world. HOWEVER I found that the book just dragged on for SO long and I had a really hard time picking it up again. I felt like there was a lot of dead space and not enough action. On top of that Mona is the literal worst, whiney, selfish kind of person and it made it really hard to root for her. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with an unlikeable main character, she just had NO redeeming qualities. Overall this book was just mid. Not sure if I'll read the next.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Amanda Helander, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mona has the gift of being able to name anyone's soulmate. The only one she does not want to name? Her own. She espcially does not want to name her own when she learns it is the king. The last thing she wants is a royal match. She'll do anything including lying and cheating so she can hide the truth. Will she be able to continue it or will she get caught?

A great fantasy YA that adults will also love! The romance was great and so was the storyline. I cannot wait for the next one!

It is not often that I have read a cozy YA fantasy book, but it will not be the last time. I enjoyed the essential world-building and plot scaffolding that led to the story's main events inside the castle. I liked the curious mythology of the world and would love to learn more about the Flood.

However, I had a hard time connecting to the main character. I found it hard to understand her as she seemed to be almost two characters simultaneously: someone who did not feel she was worthy of good things but who also had a giant self-centered ego. This made her a unique character to unravel.

I hadn't realized this would be a series. I am intrigued, and I would read the next book in the series to see what sort of antics Mona gets up to.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Amanda Helander, and the publisher for the opportunity to read, rate, and review this story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

Overall, I did enjoy it. I liked how it had a twist on the normal fantasy elements of gods and mortals, but it definitely felt like the first book in a duology with how much it was working on setting up the next book. I think the world building could have been a bit better (like...how did the Flood happen? Why is it called that? why are the gods animalistic? how did the demon tribes end up there?) but I mean...I still devoured this. I also love Mona and Byer's friendship they develop, and Mona is (although somewhat like a typical fantasy upper-ya character) is still refreshing to read as a character who is unapologetic about themselves.

Will I be reading the next one? Yes...because I need to know what happens.

I really enjoyed this book I was a little disappointed when I got to the end and realized it maybe a series. I wish that the publisher or author was upfront about that before you start the book...

"And when the time comes, you will make yourself proud."
Divine Mortals is a fun romantasy with a charming yet imperfect protagonist, Mona Arnett. The seven gods could not make me put this down. The only small regret I have is that the author needed to make this YA to appease the publisher. But the same publisher got this into my hands as an ARC, so my complaints are more grumbles than outrage. There were several twists in here that I didn't see coming, and the banter was always serving. I am pleased to have read this, and I cannot wait for the next book to see what Mona does next.
Massive thanks to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for this ARC!

I saw that this book was comped to Violet Made of Thorns, which is a favorite of mine, but it definitely fell short. I liked the religion and mythology in this book, but I didn't really care about any of the characters, or about any of the greater plot points going on.