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A review by pagepixie
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is pure divine magic!
I love a soft, low fantasy where the magic is subtle and seems to creep along the lines of the world we know to make something powerfully compelling and surreal!
Divine Rivals drops you right into the magic, 1940-ish world that Iris Winnow is surviving in. There is little introduction or world building in the beginning as the reader is treated like someone who should know. While at first, this left me a little confused by the way the magic system worked and the history of the war between the gods, it also felt much more satisfying as the pieces finally began to come together.
I liked Iris from the very beginning. She seemed passionate and fierce and tangibly real on the page. It was clear she cared deeply about everything, her brother, her mother, her writing, the war, and Roman, even if she seemed to resist that heartfelt caring in the beginning.
I loved Roman and Iris’s dynamic from their first interaction on the page. Again, we joined their story a couple months into them knowing each other. Their professional rivalry had clearly already been blossoming into something more (albeit reluctantly) before the story started.
The romance is a preeclampsia part of this story, which is something I loved! It was beautiful to watch their feelings grow through words and face to face. I was totally enthralled by the sincere and tender way that Roman regarded Iris. Iris was able to encourage the gumption Roman has forgotten due to his past and his cloud of grief. And Roman I think also encouraged Iris to be more confident and fight for what she wanted, to believe she was worthy of love and joy.
They both helped each other grow so much!
Now, for that ending! The atmosphere of the war, traveling to the front lines and then the front lines coming to the characters, kept a nail biting high stakes plot to the story. My heart was pounding at times. The ending of this book swept me off my feet and I’m so glad I already have the second book at my finger tips!
I love a soft, low fantasy where the magic is subtle and seems to creep along the lines of the world we know to make something powerfully compelling and surreal!
Divine Rivals drops you right into the magic, 1940-ish world that Iris Winnow is surviving in. There is little introduction or world building in the beginning as the reader is treated like someone who should know. While at first, this left me a little confused by the way the magic system worked and the history of the war between the gods, it also felt much more satisfying as the pieces finally began to come together.
I liked Iris from the very beginning. She seemed passionate and fierce and tangibly real on the page. It was clear she cared deeply about everything, her brother, her mother, her writing, the war, and Roman, even if she seemed to resist that heartfelt caring in the beginning.
I loved Roman and Iris’s dynamic from their first interaction on the page. Again, we joined their story a couple months into them knowing each other. Their professional rivalry had clearly already been blossoming into something more (albeit reluctantly) before the story started.
The romance is a preeclampsia part of this story, which is something I loved! It was beautiful to watch their feelings grow through words and face to face. I was totally enthralled by the sincere and tender way that Roman regarded Iris. Iris was able to encourage the gumption Roman has forgotten due to his past and his cloud of grief. And Roman I think also encouraged Iris to be more confident and fight for what she wanted, to believe she was worthy of love and joy.
They both helped each other grow so much!
Now, for that ending! The atmosphere of the war, traveling to the front lines and then the front lines coming to the characters, kept a nail biting high stakes plot to the story. My heart was pounding at times. The ending of this book swept me off my feet and I’m so glad I already have the second book at my finger tips!