A STUNNING WAR ROMANCE
Divine Rivals broke my heart. Shattered it.
It’s a story about war and love. It’s about Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt, who are both reporters at the Oath Gazette, and in competition for the position of columnist. They fight for the position with teeth and claws, constantly bantering and sniping at each other. Until everything starts to change… there’s a war between two gods – Dacre and Enva – and as Iris’s world starts to change, she has to make some tough choices. Roman’s life starts to change too. The world at large is breaking. Meanwhile, both of them start exchanging letters through a magic portal, which makes their bond even stronger in time. Part of the book is in epistolary form – through the letters they write to each other.
This book is truly a gem. If you take You’ve Got Mail and put it amidst a war, you got this book. I rarely feel satisfied when there is war in fantasy books. Usually, the war realities are glanced over. But not in this book. I have to give you a warning – heavy trigger for war scenes, situations, and fear. The reality of the world around them is horrifying and so very realistic – there are quiet moments, joyful moments, terrifying moments. The things both Iris and Roman go through, took my breath away. Now imagine adding gods and monsters to the mix, and you have a very interesting book on your hands.
The thing is, the romance was a huge part of the novel, and it was very well developed. I loved Iris’s character. I loved all the people she encounters on the way. I loved her articles and their letters. I loved how devoted Roman was, how confused they both were. It was perfect.
The only thing I hated was the ending. Yep, it’s a cliffhanger, and it was unexpected. I see that the next book is coming out on December 26, 2023, so I’ll have to wait until then to find what happens next. Rarely do I feel possessed to continue a series, but I’ll have to with this one. It was a truly beautiful story of love and devastation and hope and fear and longing and everything in between.
If you’re looking for a story about two reporters, about lovers writing letters, about the realities of war, about gods and monsters and magic, this is the one I recommend for you.
It made me cry a lot in the end. Such a beautifully devastating book. No less than 5 stars.
Reviewed by Violeta Nedkova
